Best Wood for Dining Tables

• Durability - The best wood for a dining table should be robust enough to handle daily use without significant wear. To learn more about the hardness scores of commonly chosen species, click here. 
   
• Resistance to scratches, moisture, and heat - Resistance to dents, scrapes, and spills doesn’t only depend on choosing a good wood but also on applying a high-quality varnish, such as our catalyzed conversion varnish. This varnish hardens over 30 days to create an exceptionally durable, protective layer. 
   
• Ethically and sustainably harvested - As highlighted in our Checklist for Eco-Friendly, Sustainable and Ethical Furniture, a shocking number of big-brand furniture brands use illegally sourced wood. This damages the environment and supports criminal activities that harm local communities. Ideally, wood from North American renewable forests should be chosen, and trees should be replanted to replace those harvested, minimizing transport fuel and supporting sustainable practices.
   
• Aesthetic appeal - The wood should have a pleasing grain and color that enhances the table’s appearance and complements your dining room decor. Our advice? Order samples of specific stains before finalizing your table’s selection to see how the shading complements your home. 
   
• Ease of maintenance - The wood should be easy to clean and maintain, with a finish that protects against stains and simplifies refinishing.

Red oak is one of the best choices for a dining table due to its exceptional robustness, making it ideal for enduring family gatherings, daily use, and the occasional bumps from foot traffic. Its versatility is another key advantage, as it can beautifully adapt to a wide range of stains and decor styles, whether traditional or modern. The wood’s distinctive grain, characterized by pronounced, swirling patterns, adds a dynamic visual appeal. Additionally, red oak is often more affordable than other hardwoods—not because of inferior quality but due to its abundant supply—making it a best-value choice for dining tables without the high price tag.

White oak dining tables are highly sought after for their cooler undertones and tight, straight-grain pattern that exudes a sense of prestige. While it’s pricier than red oak, many homeowners consider white oak worth the investment for its elegant appearance and exceptional moisture resistance—an invaluable feature for handling the inevitable spills in a dining room. White oak's light tones complement a wide range of home design styles, including Mid-Century Modern, Mission, and contemporary themes such as Coastal and Scandinavian.

Cherry wood is known for its rich, warm tones that deepen and become more lustrous with age. It has a smooth, fine grain that imbues your dining table with character, making it one of the best options for a table sporting a natural stain. This hardwood is also prized for its durability and resistance to warping. 

Cherry furniture can indeed look modern, especially when executed with a streamlined design and placed amongst a contemporarily decorated environment. However, cherry dining tables is commonly associated with iconic traditional styles. Want to bring Shaker, Queen Anne, or French Country refinement to your home? Cherry wood could be the best choice for your dining table. Want to layer farmhouse or rustic touches into your dining room’s decor? Why not try rustic cherry? While this timber comes from the same species as typical cherry, it’s carefully handled to preserve its so-called imperfections like knots and pits.

As highlighted in our guide to brown maple furniture, the wood’s tasteful grain exudes an innate elegance, yet this species tends to cost less than other hardwood options (including the above-mentioned cherry and white oak). Another reason brown maple has its share of fans is its chameleon nature, beautiful platforming, and a whole rainbow of stains and colors. This makes this hardwood a good choice for your dining room table regardless of your decor theme—with the right furniture design and finish, it can take on a regal, rustic, or edgy appearance.

There’s a lot to love about elm wood: its exceptional durability, resistance to splitting, and rich, earthy tones. However, arguably, its best characteristic for dining tables is the wood’s one-of-a-kind grain. Its interlocking patterns create a striking visual texture that makes each piece unique. There are many ways to style an elm table, but a popular approach is pairing an eye-catching elm top with a darkly stained brown maple base. This creates a striking contrast while allowing you to showcase the unique, premium elm without the cost of using it for the entire table.

Tiger maple is one of the best hardwood choices for a dining table top, thanks to its distinctive wave-like grain and inviting warmth that brings character to any room. It’s worth noting that it is pricier than other hardwoods; for this reason, furniture designers often pair it with another hardwood or a contrasting material, like the use of metal legs. The result is a particularly nuanced visual that is well-suited for Mid-Century or Contemporary dining room decor themes. For inspiration on combining tiger maple with other woods, check out 30+ Two-Tone Dining Tables - Farmhouse, Modern and More.

Let’s face it: not everyone in your household or among your guests will treat your dining table with the utmost care. Dogs might scratch the surface with their nails, enthusiastic guests could spill wine, and kids may bump into it or forget the coasters. While tables are meant to be used and enjoyed, all these happy moments can lead to some inevitable wear and tear.

One genius trick is to buy a table that purposefully embraces imperfections with its choice of wood, camouflaging any future scratches. Recycled barn wood is an excellent option, as it’s incredibly strong and styled to highlight its organic past life, giving it a charmingly weathered appearance. Similarly, rough-sawn maple and other “rustic” wood options incorporate artistically placed saw marks, adding distinctive character and making each table uniquely unique. 

Our point? The accumulation of scratches and dings over time won’t undermine the dining table’s charms, making reclaimed or rustic woods one of the best options for dining tables in lively homes.

• Fir and Pine - Pine is budget-friendly compared to other woods, but it comes with detrimental trade-offs. Mainly, its softness makes it prone to dents and scratches. Pine can work for furniture that doesn’t see much action, but it's not the best choice for a piece you'll use daily, like your table. For this reason, Countryside Amish Furniture doesn’t offer pine to our customers, as it ultimately doesn’t deliver results of which we could be proud. 
   
• Balsa - Balsa’s lightweight nature causes instability, leading to potentially a wobbly or easily damaged table. Additionally, balsa's tendency to degrade quickly under pressure means it lacks the durability required for a long-lasting dining table.
   
• Beech - While beech trees themselves can be quite beautiful, the wood they produce is considered less so. While it’s sturdy in some regards, it is particularly susceptible to moisture, making it an impractical choice to endure regular exposure to the condensation of drinks and the occasional spill. It can also crack with time. 
   
• Mahogany - Mahogany comes with a high price tag and is frequently sourced through illegal harvesting that endangers endangered rainforests. Additionally, its softness makes it susceptible to scratches and dents, and it demands considerable maintenance to maintain its appearance. 
   
• Engineered wood - Engineered wood is less durable than solid wood, making it prone to wear and damage from daily use. It can also be less resistant to moisture and heat, which are common in dining environments.

While the choice of a good hardwood species is foundational to any solid furniture piece, it’s not the only factor in the overall integrity of the wood. Mishandling of the material can undermine its strength. Therefore, the best wood for your dining table is also dependent upon: 
 

• The selection of the timber and boards - Each tree has its own characteristics and will yield timber with distinct variations, some positive and some negative. Our Amish craftspeople carefully select each board to ensure durability and a consistent, beautiful grain pattern throughout the piece. 
   
• The drying process - Properly seasoned or kiln-dried wood helps prevent warping, cracking, and shrinkage over time, maintaining the furniture’s structural integrity.
   
• The sanding - Meticulous sanding creates a smooth, even surface for your dining table, allowing the wood to showcase its natural beauty while also ensuring the finish adheres well. Our Amish furniture makers hand-sand each piece to ensure optimal results. 
   
• The varnish – The varnish does more than add an attractive shine to your dining table, as its presence also provides a protective layer that safeguards the wood. For this reason, Countryside Amish Furniture uses an industry-best catalyzed conversion varnish that requires multiple rounds of application and at least 30 days for completion. As a result, any table you buy with us will offer superior protection against moisture, heat, and wear.

Countryside Amish Furniture proudly offers thousands of furniture designs from which to choose. We can build almost anything you want, whether that be pub-height tables, tables with leaf extensions, single-pedestal designs, or farmhouse-themed furniture.

You choose the best hardwood and stain for your dining room table, and our skilled Amish craftspeople get to work hand-building your new furniture. Though the artistry takes time, the end results are well worth the wait.

Eager to learn more about finding the perfect dining table for your home? Other helpful articles include:

• How Much Does a Wooden Dining Room Table Cost
• Finding the Right-Sized Dining Table Proportionate to the Room
• Bar Height and Counter Height Dining Tables - Products & FAQ
• What Are Butterfly Leaf Dining Tables (With Examples)?